“Roommates” It was an erotic story I wrote last Spring, When I sat down with Nala and remy the ECCENTRICsoul to plan our shoot, we decided to build a visual concept around my story. We were going to take an artistic interpretation the story with me as a writer toiling away with the story, Nala as my manifested imagination, and Remy behind the lens being the “eyes” of the male character by creating a series of dramatic images.  However, it ended up being more of a celebration of our diverse and natural Black beauty. The contrast of our lovely natural crowns, the shades of our brown...

By Tamara Madden When I was growing up, I was constantly told how ugly I was. My mother was stunning and always had men running behind her, but I never thought that I would look like her and never wanted to, surprisingly. I would look in the mirror at my dark skin and big forehead and wonder why people judged me. I always felt like I was a nice person, but nothing seemed to matter more than my outward appearance. My mother was light and I was dark and I often wondered if her complexion and the length of her hair made her more attractive to people.  In high school many girl’s got their self-esteem...

By Scottie Lowe I AM my hair.  I am my naps.  I am my African wooly hair.  I am every African woman who was beaten and told that she had to cover her hair or lose her life.  I AM every slave woman who loved her nappy hair and who had to see white women and mulatto slaves get preferential treatment for having straight hair.  I will NEVER as long as I live let straight hair define my beauty. If you ever watch that show “Yo Mama” on MTV, every show, they crack on someone for having nappy hair and everyone in the audience rolls with laughter.  Anyone who finds nappy headed momma...